Saudi Arabia will generate up to five gigawatts of energy through solar power by 2020 as part of its $100bn spending drive to target renewable energy, the organisers of Saudi Energy 2011 said on Sunday.

With an increasingly diverse industry base and a fast growing population, the Kingdom’s demand for energy is expected to peak at 120 gigawatts by 2012, analysts have said. This demand is expected to double by 2032.

“Saudi Arabia is currently looking at various alternatives that can help boost its power generation to meet rising demand,” Mohammad Al Hussaini, deputy general manager, Riyadh Exhibitions Company, said in the lead up to Saudi Energy 2011.

“We are now seeing solar energy as a likely solution that can meet this jump in electricity demand, with experts predicting that it will be able to generate at least five gigawatts of power towards the end of the decade,” Al Hussaini added.

Experts predict that with the next 10 years, Saudi Arabia will bolster energy generating capacity by 50% through solar power and other non-hydrocarbon sources.

Analysts have stated that the GCC’s oil producers will need to produce more electricity to sustain regional economic growth that is averaging around 10% per annum.

As a result, the Middle East, led by Saudi Arabia and UAE, has invested heavily in new ways to generate power, while maximising their income through crude oil exportation.

In October of last year, Vision Electrical Mechanical Company, a subsidiary of Construction Products Holding Company, said that it would build eight solar power plants across Saudi Arabia in partnership with California’s SolFocus.

The first of these plants will be a 130 kilowatt plant in CPC’s Bahra industrial complex, which will be the Arab region’s largest solar plant using CPV technology.

“The Bahra plant will serve as a model for further research and study to develop peak efficiency under the weather conditions of Saudi Arabia and the Arab region, so as to exploit it in further projects, especially in Industrial Parks,” Hassan Chahine, CEO of Vision, said at the time.

By 2012, the Kingdom hopes to open the world’s largest solar powered desalination plant in the city of Al Khafji. Spearheaded by the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, the project aims to supply 30,000m3 of clean water per day.

Saudi Energy 2011 is the 14th edition of the international show for electricity, lighting, power generation, water technology and HVAC for Saudi Arabia.

Held from May 29 to June 1, 2011, the exhibition seeks to showcase the latest equipment, services and best practices to help the Kingdom formulate efficient solutions to its energy challenge, Al Hussaini said.

__________________EVIL KILLER

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Our government is doing a lot of good for our country and people. So much effort is being placed to help us become more efficient, become more prosperous, become more knowledgeable, and just become a better country.

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Every year, our demand for energy increases at a rapid rate. If we continue on this path, our country will not only not have any oil to export since it will all be consumed domestically, but we would have to import oil to keep up with the demand. This is more than two decades down the road, but it is an issue we must address today.

Since our government spending is comprised mostly from oil revenue, we would not even be able to sustain an economy. We would not be able to spend money on our welfare.

There are a lot of initiatives around us to avoid this, but we must all take a personal role. We can use more efficient ACs and use them less, turn off the lights when we're not home, make sure our homes are properly sealed and insulated, walk more/drive less.

The social behavior is just as critical as the technological advancement and regulatory changes that will take place.

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people who govern this country don't give a shit about the future ,,
as long as they are safe and secure now ,, and they have their estates in europe to run to , who cares if they are choking our future to death ,,
it's disgusting

Water is very important because our future is in desalination, which requires a lot of energy. Right now, KACST is building two major solar-powered desalination plants to be completed within three years. There are other solar-powered and cogeneration plants being built to improve efficiency and water supply.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yaghuth

the thing is , water , gas ,oil and electricity are subsidised , their not even sold for what production really cost

Just on electricity, the government is subsidizing the power sector at a value of 13.3 billion USD as of a 2010 presentation given by ECRA's governor. This excludes gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and feedstock subsidies.

People don't know the government is paying so much of their bills.

Low prices don't incentivize people to monitor consumption. Increasing their costs to approach market levels will be necessary going forward, but how people react? The social factor is the major hurdle.

Our demand for electricity is increasing rapidly. The quick short fix to meet this demand is to build inefficient oil-combusting power plants. This is no good. We have to keep our demand in check to give the government time to meet our needs by more efficient means.

We produce oil at 5 USD/barrel. Rather than selling it for 100 USD on the market and make a large profit, we are burning in power plants.

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Saudi Arabia’s demand for electricity is growing at a rapid rate. In 2010, domestic electricity energy sales increased by 9.7% over the previous year, much faster than either of our gross domestic product and population growth rates. Between 2011 and 2032, the Electricity and Co-generation Regulatory Authority (ECRA) projects that our peak capacity will increase by over 130% . Concerning existing capacity, the operation of air conditioners comprises over 70% of electricity peak load in the summer. Some areas in the country have even faced blackouts in the summer due to the localized lack of capacity. To keep up, plants that directly burn oil are being built across the country due to their quick turnaround and ease of operation. It is apparent targeting this appliance is a major priority for our energy efficiency efforts in the country.

There have been recent initiatives to improve the efficiency of air conditioners in the Kingdom. The Saudi Standards, Metrology, and Quality Organization (SASO) implemented a mandatory minimum labeling standard for the air conditioning Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) of 7.5 BTU/W-hr in April 2010 . The EER is the ratio of the energy sought for cooling over the energy input needed to run the unit. We desire to reduce the electricity input for the same cooling effect, so the higher the EER, the better.

While the current standard is a step in the right direction, it is still too low, and further gradual increases are necessary. In addition, voluntary public uptake needs to complement any further legislation. If we increase the average EER in buildings by a factor of 2, that would cut our electricity requirement for air conditioning by a half. If we eventually reach an average EER of 20, that electricity reduction would amount to over 62% compared to our current minimum labeling criteria. These are huge energy savings given the share cooling loads make up during the summer months.

The implications of such significant reduction in energy use are far-reaching. First, it would reduce our national energy intensity and create a more sustainable environment. Second, it would give us the ability to either export the conserved primary fuels at higher market prices or reserve the valuable resources for future need. Third, it would give the Saudi Electric Company (SEC) some breathing room in attempting to meet future demand using more efficient power plant cycles, and to retrofit existing power plants to become more efficient.

Furthermore, domestic manufacturers of air conditioners actually export the more efficient units and sell the less efficient units locally. A more stringent mandate is needed to keep the efficient units within our borders and preventing the low-efficiency units from being imported. With our great need for cooling during the summer months and our strained electricity generation infrastructure, measures targeting the reduction in cooling loads and the efficient operation of equipment that keep us cool are vital.

JEDDAH – Saudi Arabia emerged as the best target for energy capital as the Kingdom remains relatively scot-free despite the turmoil that struck the region three years ago, the study by the Dammam-based Arab Petroleum Investment Corp (Apicorp), an affiliate of the 10-nation Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), said Wednesday.

The study said energy projects in many Arab countries have been stifled by the upheaval and that the outlook for the region as a whole has remained “clouded with many questions.”

The study classified each Arab country in terms of energy investment potential on three main bases —the energy investment potential, country risk and the enabling business environment.

“One country, Saudi Arabia, continues to occupy a unique position in the most desirable quadrant. As a result of substantial increase in public spending …, it has managed to retain its position near the ideal point … therefore the country can still be viewed as a superior energy investment destination,” it said.

The study showed Iran far lagged behind Saudi Arabia. Despite having almost the same investment potential, Iran has greatly been affected by tougher international sanctions and as a result has been kept relatively distant from the ideal point, the study said.

But it noted that the sanctions have not prevented Iran from slightly improving its position compared to the one it had prior to the Arab political upheavals. “This country has indeed revealed itself to be much more resilient to external stresses than expected.”

Moreoer, Apicorp said Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE continue to be clustered together in the “next best quadrant.”

“However, the UAE has regained the lead thanks to its better perceived enabling environment for business.” It said.

“As all three countries have largely avoided the turmoil, they continue to be perceived as having each a low country risk, in addition to a sound enabling environment.”

The study said Oman and Bahrain, which have far less hydrocarbon resources, have managed to maintain their relative positions in the third investment climate quadrant.

“Both Oman and Bahrain have continued to be perceived as having a strong enough enabling environment for business, but a low energy investment potential for lack of sufficient hydrocarbon resources,” it said.

The report considered conflict-battered Iraq as “in an odd position” since it remains way behind other Gulf oil exporters, stressing that the country needs to improve its security situation and institutional practices to move ahead of its fifth ranking position.

Tunisia has regrouped with a less appealing cluster comprising Morocco, Jordan and Lebanon while Libya and Syria have broken out of the cluster previously containing.

Algeria and both have been relegated to a much less attractive quadrant, very far from the ideal point, the report said.

They have joined Sudan, Yemen, and Mauritania, which have stayed in this quadrant as a result of modest investment potential, higher country risk and a deficient enabling business environment. In this group, strife-ridden Yemen has regressed further.

“Lingering political turmoil in parts of Middle East and North Africa has undermined the region as a whole, adversely affecting its investment attractiveness,” Apicorp noted. — SG